Chalanata (pronounced chalanāta) is a
rāga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...
m in
Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 36th ''
Melakarta
Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melak ...
'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is one of the few rāgams referred by the same name in
Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.
[''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai]
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 6th rāgam in the 6th chakra ''Rutu''. The mnemonic name is ''Rutu-Sha''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ru gu ma pa dhu nu''.
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see ''
swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
The notes used in this scale are ''shadjam, shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, shatsruthi dhaivatham'' and ''kakali nishadham''. As it is a ''melakarta'' rāgam, by definition it is a
''sampurna'' rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the ''shuddha madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Rasikapriya'', which is the 72nd (last) ''melakarta''.
Janya Rāgams
''Chalanāta'' (also pronounced ''Chalanāttai'') has two popular ''
janya'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, namely ''
Nāta (Nāttai)'' and ''
Ghambheeranāta (Gambheeranāttai)''. ''Nāta'' ragam compositions are sung often in concerts and it overshadows ''Chalanāta''.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras] See ''
List of Janya Rāgams'' for list of ''janya'' rāgams associated with ''Chalanāta''.
Compositions
A few compositions set to ''Chalanāta'' are:
*''Rājadhirāja'' (
varnam) by ''Baluswami Dikshitar''
*''Nagātmajā Manōharam'' by
Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...
*''Margazhi Thingal'' by
Andal
Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alv ...
*''Madhava Panchakam'' by
Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi
*''Edayya Gathi'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
Film Songs
Language: Tamil
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
''Chalanata's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...
'', yields a major ''Melakarta'' rāgam ''
Shubhapantuvarali''. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer ''
Graha bhedam on Chalanata''.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas